'Unknown' Movie Review

Title: Unknown

Directed by: Jaume Collet-Serra

Starring: Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger and January Jones

Written by: Karen Benardello


While Dark Castle Entertainment, the studio behind the new Liam Neeson thriller ‘Unknown,’ was busy promoting the action film, the actor’s fans undoubtedly questioned if the movie would be reminiscent of his 2009 sleeper hit ‘Taken.’ Both films are focused on Neeson’s character, an American, who travels to Europe and puts himself through physical danger to put his life back together. While the plotline for ‘Unknown’ unfortunately doesn’t stay entirely true to ‘Taken’s format, Neeson still proves that as an older actor, he can still equally balance action while developing a sophisticated character.

‘Unknown’ follows Dr. Martin Harris (played by Neeson) as he arrives in Berlin with his wife, Elizabeth (portrayed by January Jones). After they reach their hotel, Martin realizes he left one of his briefcases at the airport, and quickly hails a taxi to go back to retrieve it. But his cab driver, Gina (played by Diane Kruger), gets into an accident along the way, sending Martin to the hospital in a coma.

After he wakes up from the coma, Martin goes back to the hotel to find his wife, as he’s worried that she’s been in a strange city by herself for several days. When he does find Elizabeth, she denies knowing him, and insists that another man (portrayed by Aiden Quinn) is really her husband. Determined to prove who he really is to police and the world, Martin will stop at nothing to get his life back.

Neeson definitely seemed to connect with Martin, as he was convincingly able to portray his pain and confusion. The audience will definitely question Martin’s sanity as he talks to his doctor in the hospital and the security guards at the hotel; despite seemingly knowing almost everything about his life with Elizabeth, he doesn’t have any physical proof that he is indeed who he says he is. What makes his situation worse is that everyone in his past denies knowing him. Neeson’s accurate depiction of a man wandering unfamiliar streets, hoping someone will be willing to help him, will surely make the audience question what they would do if they were in his place.


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